In Time for the Highwayman: Gina's Time Travel Agency, #1

By Lori Whyte

All she wants for Christmas is a highwayman…

 

When Cassy impulsively books a holiday for her Christmas break, she has no idea what will happen, because before now she didn't know magic existed, time travel was possible, and roguish highwaymen were great kissers… (Um, yeah, about that last one… What happens in historic England, stays in historic England, right?)

 

She hadn't been looking for a happily-ever-after from this holiday, but now all she's expecting is a broken heart when she returns to her own time.

 

Is it too much to hope that magic will grant her one more wish?

 

Note to Readers: Be prepared for a quick fall into romance, a brush with Christmas magic, and a fun jaunt to the early nineteenth century England.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lori Whyte
• Release date: Oct 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781989764282

Lori Whyte

Lori Whyte lives with her husband and two cats in Alberta, Canada. She writes contemporary romance and paranormal romance – usually spicy, sizzling, steamy, sexy... Well, you get the idea. From werewolves to dragon shifters to hot guys next door, her heroes are always strong and protective, just the way she likes them. 

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Be careful what you wish for

because magic is always listening.

Grandma Lucy’s Rules to Magic and Dating

I s this a present? Would you like it gift wrapped? I practiced making bows all year, so I’ll make it look magical. I promise.

Cassy blinked at the enthusiastic woman across the counter, then looked at the 2000-piece jigsaw puzzle, more chocolate bars than most people ate in a decade, and the obnoxiously tall, teetering stack of romance novels. When she’d selected everything, she’d thought to spoil herself with a little something to look forward to as she struggled to fill the long, long break when her office closed for the holidays in a few days. But seeing everything in one spot made it all look rather… ugh… And more to the point, her pity party supplies really didn’t need to be gift wrapped. She cleared her throat. Ah, no, that’s okay. Thanks.

The woman’s wide and happy smile didn’t change as she rang up the sale and handed over the credit card machine. Her little Christmas tree earrings flashed in time to the Christmas songs on the speakers, which she hummed along to in perfect tune. Both her red sweater and her green pants sparkled like they’d been dipped in fairy dust. If Cassy believed in the magic of the season or any magic at all—she was way too practical for that, despite her Grandma Lucy’s insistence that she came from a long line of witches—she’d think the woman was one of Santa’s elves in disguise. Because, really, it wasn’t natural to be that perky at the end of a dreary, wintery day, on the shortest day of the year even.

Magic is in the air tonight, Grandma Lucy used to say on the winter solstice. A night for wishes and dreams.

If only that were true.

But what would she even wish for if she could?

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases, the cashier said.

Cassy grunted and grabbed the shopping bag.

Stepping out of the shop didn’t improve her mood. The sidewalks and roads were full as people hurried to get to holiday parties or finish their Christmas shopping. It didn’t help that at barely five o’clock the sky was already dark and had been for a while. She pulled her collar tighter around her neck and ducked her head down to watch for ice on the sidewalk.

Maybe she needed to buy one of those SAD lights or whatever. Sunlight in the evening was a mere memory and she missed it. Just like she missed a lot of things, like having family to spend the holidays with. Before Grandma Lucy, her last relative, had died years ago, the older woman had tried to pass along as many pearls of wisdom as she could. Some of it was pretty specious, though, from the insistence that magic was real to rules for dating a witch—a term that Cassy sincerely hoped her grandmother was using figuratively. Back then, perhaps buoyed by her grandmother’s belief that wishes could come true, Cassy had always been convinced she’d have a family of her own to help her celebrate the season. So much for best laid plans.

Blah.

Enough.

It’d been two years since her divorce was finalized and pretty much everyone she knew figured she should be dating again. It made her wonder what was wrong with her that it was taking so long to come to terms with the end of her marriage. It wasn’t that she wanted him back. Nope. No way. Not even a little bit. Not after everything that had happened.

No, she wasn’t mourning the loss of him at this point, but the loss of all the dreams she’d built around what she’d imagined their life together would be. Not that things had ever felt settled and happy between them, even in the beginning. But she’d thought they shared enough common values, ideals, and ambitions to make it work. She’d been wrong then, and no one had come along since to make her think it would be different the next time.

But maybe her friends were right. Maybe she needed to do something different this year.

The tinkling of small bells floated over the cacophony of people and cars, such a pretty sound over the drone of everyday life. Cassy stopped and looked around. To her right was a small storefront. The air in front of the windows sparkled like one of those Facebook photo filters she’d looked at but never had occasion to use. It had to be a pop-up store, just there for the holidays, but Cassy couldn't remember ever seeing the space before. The bright and welcoming sign said, Gina's Time Travel Agency: We can take you anywhere, anytime!

Time travel? She snorted. Right. Some stores had the weirdest gimmicks to get people through the door. Although holidaying in an ancient Scottish castle for a few weeks would probably be like traveling back in time. She laughed at the idea of her very own holiday movie adventure. A fluttering sensation tickled along the back of her neck at the idea of it.

She stared at the store window. The bulky shopping bag, filled with her enormous bundle of books, hung heavily at her side, like it carried the weight of every bad decision that had led her to this exact moment. Her carefully thought-out plans from the past hadn’t worked out, so maybe it was time to try something spontaneous.

It wouldn't hurt to look, right?

The interior of the shop was more like a living room than a travel agency. The walls were covered in expensive looking wood paneling and the floors were polished hardwood. Clustered around a welcoming fire blazing from a massive stone fireplace were four leather club chairs, several side tables, and a long, comfortable looking sofa. A cat and a dog were curled up together on a plush throw rug. Neither of them even lifted their heads to look at her. The travel agent was MIA, as were the brochures and posters that usually cluttered places like this.

Hello?

One of the wood panels creaked open and a frazzled looking young woman with wildly curly blonde hair and wire rimmed eyeglasses hurried into the room. Her flowing orange skirt billowed around her knees as she rushed forward. Oh. Hello. We weren't expecting anyone this afternoon. Then she glanced at the cat and dog. Were we?

The cat flicked its tail and cuddled in closer to the dog.

Do I need an appointment? Cassy asked. Sorry, I didn't realize. I was walking by and saw your shop. I thought I would stop in and see what types of holidays you offered. It was a spur of the moment decision.

Right. Of course. Please come in and make yourself comfortable. The woman gestured toward the seats by the fireplace.

Cassy sat at the